U.S. House Reps Ask United Nations to Deprogram Pot

U.S. House Representatives Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, and Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, introduced a resolution on Friday “directing the United Nations to delist cannabis from Schedule 1 of the Convention.” Narcotics Act of 1961, and to treat cannabis as a commodity similar to other agricultural products,” according to a press release.
“Many countries would de-schedule cannabis and reassess how cannabis is classified if the UN did,” Mace said. “Cannabis has been shown to be effective in the treatment of many medical conditions such as epilepsy, PTSD, cancer pain relief, nausea, and chronic and terminal illnesses. Deprogramming at the UN would support global research into how cannabis can treat a wide range of diseases and conditions.
Lee said scientific research “has shown that cannabis has many positive effects in the treatment of chronic disease.”
“The classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug is outdated, irrelevant, and should be addressed not just in the United States, but around the world. The United States should lead the way in cannabis reform on the world stage, and deprogramming at the United Nations would be a good start,” Lee said in the press release.
A treaty which “aims to combat drug addiction through coordinated international action”, the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs has more than 60 signatories.
“There are two forms of intervention and control that work together. First, it seeks to limit the possession, use, trade, distribution, import, export, manufacture and production of drugs exclusively for medical and scientific purposes. Second, it combats drug trafficking through international cooperation to deter and discourage drug traffickers,” according to a description of the treaty on the United Nations website.
A freshman member of the House of Representatives, Mace has become one of the most vocal advocates of legalization among Republicans.
In November, Mace introduced a bill that would legalize pot at the federal level and allow states to institute their own cannabis policies. The legislation would remove cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act and effectively treat weed like alcohol.
“My home state of South Carolina allows CBD, Florida allows medical marijuana, California and others have full recreational use, for example. Every state is different. Cannabis reform at the federal level must take all of this into account. And it’s high time federal law codified that reality,” Mace said in an announcement at the time. “That’s why I’m introducing the States Reform Act, a bill that seeks to remove cannabis from Schedule I in a manner consistent with states’ rights to determine the level of cannabis reform each state already has. or not.” This bill supports veterans, law enforcement, farmers, businesses, people with serious illnesses, and it’s good for criminal justice reform. Plus, a super majority of Americans support ending cannabis prohibition, which is why only three states in the country have no cannabis reform.The State Reform Act takes special care to keep Americans and their families safe. children while ending federal interference in state cannabis laws. Washington must provide a framework for states to make their own decisions about cannabis in the future. This bill does that.”
Earlier this year, Amazon approved Mace’s bill.
“Like so many others in this country, we believe it is time to reform national cannabis policy and Amazon is committed to helping lead the effort,” the company said in a statement in January.